memories are for keeping - dreams are for believing - life is for living

A passionate creative with 6 years experience within the 3D-design and print industry.A keen speaker and an enthusiastic mentor and workshop provider.Recent experience as a visiting lecturer and summer school coordinator. Versatile designer with diverse skills: from wedding stationery to church door etchings and recently a competition winning bench.Resident designer at Market Place Studios developing my practice & setting up my business.

Discussing the design direction of my Final Major Project with Dave Grimshaw, last week, has helped to direct my research topics for this week ahead with though provoking questions...

During the previous module; CUTE values, I found the predetermined 'problem to solve' and the subsequent brief gave me a perfect amount of boundaries. I am, therefore, keen to have a 'brief' of sorts, for the final major project, this thinking is in line with the direction I discussed off the back of my tutorial with Jane Webb.

Initially, Dave and I discussed questions to ask prior to the FMP; to help inform and clarify any design direction:

What's the area of my practice?

What's the emphasis? - How will I outcome this - with an app, product, service etc.?

What's the inspiration?

Define what I mean by 'Great' when answering the above!

Understand what I want to achieve by October 2016. (GRADUATION!!)

We discussed the multiple directions I was currently interested in going down and Dave suggested breaking down what the main thing is for me and my work - what is the nucleus to my work, the element I don't ever want to drop?

As we discussed my current ideas in further depth and started to talk through my initial answers to the questions above, we discussed how for me, I am interested in:

'how light can transform a surface.'

this can be anything from daylight through to an LED, but its that moment when the light is turned on, there is a transformation, an uncovering of depth, detail and more. Light adds another dimension.

As the use of daylight is also an option, this enables this project to go outdoors, no longer bound to a power source, there are options to play with natural light, the daily rhythms of light, and the way this can play through shadows and direction.

We then talked about how it's about the way you feel, as you are experiencing this product/piece that is important to me. Something that is not permanent or static. It captivates you for a moment and brings some sense of 'pause' during a hectic day, a moment of mindfulness and a small rest for the mind.

Could I create products that promote a moment of mindfulness?

Looking back to the above artists, their interventions and collaborations with nature, create an experience visually for the viewer, triggering you to stop for a moment and be in awe.

Could I capture some of the things in nature that are just beautiful - box the experience? Focusing on the everyday subtle changes that we take for granted. Taking a moment to notice how we respond to the emotional visceral surrounding.

So the final question is: how can a mindful, natural experience inform product?